The Pink Dot Party in the park on 21 July | Photo: Calum Stuart
If you like Pride months, skyscrapers and tropical climates, then there’s only one place you should be in August.
IndigNation, Singapore’s annual LGBTI Pride season, kicks off on 1 August for a month of activities and festivities ‘by queers, for queers‘.
Now in its 14th year, IndigNation hosts a series of LGBTI arts, culture and civil society events, in the same month the country celebrates its independence day.
This year’s iteration includes a Queer Film Festival, art exhibits, talks, drag shows and comedy nights in venues throughout the city-state.
An LGBTI work in progress
Even with the carnival atmosphere, this is more than just a bit of fun. The visibility and success of this Pride month is vital to the LGBTI community in Singapore, and to progressing the cause of LGBTI rights.
As stated on the IndigNation website: ‘The organisers are motivated by a belief that however difficult, progress is possible.
‘We are not passive victims of ignorance and prejudice in an unchanging landscape. We are active citizens playing our part in making Singapore a better place.’
LGBTI rights can be a contentious issue in Singapore, as the city-state retains a law which prohibits sex between men. While the law is rarely enforced, its mere existence essentially criminalises gay men.
Singapore also prohibits portrayals of LGBTI relationships in the mainstream media, which are deemed to ‘promote [LGBTI] lifestyles’.
IndigNation comes hot on the high-heels of last month’s Pink Dot, Singapore’s annual LGBTI rally, where over 20,000 people converged to support the “freedom to love” in the city-centre.
